Ivan Fedotov’s North American run is over before it ever really got going. Patrick Williams of Flo Hockey reports that the netminder has signed a two-year deal with Spartak Moscow in the KHL, ending any chance of a continued stay on this side of the Atlantic.
Fedotov’s path to the Flyers was anything but smooth. Philadelphia had wanted to bring him over as early as the 2022-23 season, but compulsory military service in Russia and a contract dispute that needed IIHF intervention kept him from arriving until 2023-24.
Once he finally got there, the results never matched the effort. Fedotov appeared in 29 games for Philadelphia and went 6-14-5 with a .874 save percentage and a 3.29 goals-against average. The Flyers moved on last summer, sending him to the Blue Jackets for a 2026 sixth-round pick, and he spent the full season with AHL Cleveland.
There’s more KHL movement beyond Fedotov. Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review reports that defenseman Alexander Alexeyev is leaving the Pittsburgh Penguins organization to sign a two-year contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa.
Alexeyev, a restricted free agent, spent the past season with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he put up three goals and 12 points in 38 games and finished at plus-7. He also has previous experience with Salavat, having last played for the club in 2020-21 while on loan from the Washington Capitals organization.
And Givani Smith is heading in a different international direction. Walt Ruff of the Carolina Hurricanes says the depth forward is bound for China to join the KHL’s Shanghai Dragons. Smith, an enforcer by trade, played last season with AHL Chicago, posting two goals and five points in 25 games while piling up 70 penalty minutes.
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